Some Oregonians are still eligible for Economic Impact Payment

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — More than 130,000 Oregonians will receive a special mailing this month from the IRS, encouraging them to see if they’re eligible to claim an Economic Impact Payment.

The IRS will mail the letters to people who typically aren’t required to file federal income tax returns but may qualify for an Economic Impact Payment. The letter urges recipients to visit the special Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info tool on IRS.gov before the Oct. 15 deadline to register for an Economic Impact Payment. 

More than 7 million people nationwide have already used the Non-Filers tool to register for a payment.

This month’s letters, delivered from an IRS address, are being sent to people who haven’t filed a return for either 2018 or 2019. Based on an internal analysis, these are people who don’t typically have a tax return filing requirement because they appear to have income below the filing threshold based on Forms W-2 and 1099 and other third-party statements available to the IRS.

The letter urges the recipient to register at IRS.gov by Oct. 15 in order to receive a payment by the end of the year. Individuals can receive up to $1,200, and married couples can receive up to $2,400. People with qualifying children under age 17 at the end of 2019 can get up to an additional $500 for each qualifying child.

The IRS cautions that receiving a letter is not a guarantee of eligibility. An individual is likely eligible for an Economic Impact Payment if they:

• Are a U.S. citizen or resident alien.
• Have a work-eligible Social Security number.
• Can’t be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s federal income tax return.

For more information on eligibility requirements, see the Economic Impact Payment eligibility FAQ on IRS.gov.

People who are eligible should not wait to receive a letter and should register now. Alternatively, people can wait until next year and claim the recovery rebate credit on their 2020 federal income tax return by filing in 2021.

Those unable to access the Non-Filers tool may submit a simplified paper return following the procedures described in the Economic Impact Payment FAQ on IRS.gov.

Anyone using the Non-Filers tool can speed up the arrival of their payment by choosing to receive it by direct deposit. Those not choosing this option will get a check.

Beginning two weeks after they register, people can track the status of their payment using the Get My Payment tool, available only on IRS.gov.

For Oregon tax issues, visit www.oregon.gov/dor to get tax forms, check the status of your refund, or make tax payments; call 800-356-4222 toll-free from an Oregon prefix (English or Spanish); 503-378-4988 in Salem and outside Oregon; or email questions.dor@oregon.gov. For TTY (hearing or speech impaired), call 800-886-7204.